KUALA LUMPUR: Langkawi MP Datuk Nawawi Ahmad called for a press conference late Saturday where he again offered an apology to Karpal Singh's family over "insensitive" remarks he made after the DAP veteran's accident.

"I would like to express my deep remorse and regret on what happened the last two days over a posting on my private Facebook page," he told reporters.

"After some thinking, I have realised that I have done something unethical and unacceptable," he said.

The press conference came hours after he had posted the apology on his Facebook.

Nawawi said he removed the posting "when he realised that the post was strongly objected and condemned by the people."

Karpal was killed in an accident at about 1am Thursday while travelling in a car near Gua Tempurung.

Nawawi posted a gruesome picture of the accident scene attaching with it Karpal's "an Islamic state can only happen 'over my dead body' " newspaper article.

The posting also had a caption calling for those willing "to take up the challenge," which angered many people.

But Nawawi said the posting was created with his handphone while he was travelling in his car. He did not realise that it was offensive, he said.
"I didn't realise how bad the picture (of Karpal) was as my screen was very small.

"Maybe if I was with my computer, I might have realised how unethical it was for me to post such a picture," he said.

"I would like to extend my sincerest apology to his family and all Malaysians who were affected by the post," he said.

Nawawi added that he had the highest respect for Karpal as a lawyer and a respected MP.

"I will always respect him as a highly capable MP and he has also projected himself as a man of principle, integrity and courage with noble constitutional spirit," Nawawi said.

PETALING JAYA: Countless number of people have had Karpal Singh to thank for - from getting them out of jail to voicing out their problems or making their voices heard in Parliament.

But for fellow lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah and wife Mehrun Siraj, they have Karpal to thank for playing cupid.

Their son, Huzir, said his mother reminded him that Karpal was the one responsible for getting both of them together when they were students at Singapore University.

Karpal was in his third year at the university when Sulaiman and Mehrun arrived as first year students, said Huzir in a Facebook posting.

"Karpal was in Dunearn Rd Hostel with Dad and used to rag him mercilessly. In those days Karpal wore a big starched turban like a helmet that he took off and put next to him when he slept. Whenever Dad annoyed him Karpal would take off his turban and hit Dad on the head with it," Huzir wrote in his post as related by his mother.

Huzir said that one day Karpal told his dad that he had found a girl by the name of Mehrun Siraj who was right for him and asked him to invite her to the Indian Cultural Society Night.

When Sulaiman said he didn't know who the girl was, Karpal hit him with his turban and shouted at him to find and invite her to the function.

Sulaiman however couldn't figure out which of the three "possible" girls in the class was Mehrun so he didn't do anything, Huzir said.

Mehrun and a friend however showed up at the function by themselves.

Sulaiman figured out who Mehrun was and they started talking. Later on, Karpal and Sulaiman shared a house after moving out of the hostel.

Huzir quoted his mother as saying "And so I always say it's because of Karpal Singh that we are together…Of course, sometimes when Dad irritates me, I say it's Karpal Singh's fault that we are together."